Mauricio Pochettino earned USD 5,016,917 in his first seven months coaching the United States men's national team — and more than half of that came from a single bonus payment.
According to the U.S. Soccer Federation's tax filing for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, Pochettino's base salary for the period was USD 2,516,917. On top of that, he received a USD 2.5 million bonus shortly after taking the job in September 2024. For context, his predecessor Gregg Berhalter earned USD 1,774,981 across the entire fiscal year — including his severance after being sacked following a Copa America group-stage exit.
What the numbers actually say about USSF's priorities
USSF clearly decided that landing Pochettino required an aggressive opening offer. The bonus alone dwarfs what Berhalter made in salary during his final year, which tells you something about how urgently the federation wanted to close the deal — and how much they needed the hire to land well after the Copa America embarrassment.
Emma Hayes, coaching the women's team to an Olympic gold medal, earned USD 1,469,557 for the period. Her bonus was USD 700,000. The pay gap between the men's and women's coaches remains wide, though the women's team players themselves featured among the USSF's highest-paid employees: Emily Sonnett, Emily Fox, and Naomi Girma each cleared USD 852,112 in salary, with a USD 36,000 bonus on top.
Beyond coaching salaries, the federation's financials reveal some eye-catching line items. USSF paid USD 13,395,175 to law firm Latham & Watkins — dwarfing every coaching salary on the books — and USD 2,881,792 to Soccer United Marketing, an MLS affiliate. Revenue jumped to USD 268.05 million from USD 196.8 million the prior year, with expenses climbing in tandem to USD 260.1 million.
Pochettino's price tag raises the stakes
When you pay a coach USD 5 million before he's even managed a competitive qualifier, the margin for error shrinks. Pochettino will be expected to deliver a meaningful run at the 2026 World Cup on home soil — anything short of the knockout rounds, and those numbers will become very uncomfortable reading very quickly.
The USSF has bet big. The 2026 tournament will be the reckoning.
